Chapter 5 : Finding Prey

Arthur pressed forward, following a straight path and frequently glancing back at the forest. He understood the importance of retracing his steps to avoid losing the cave he had taken shelter in. The camouflage crafted by his body's parents was far superior to anything he could replicate, making it crucial to stay on the right course. As he continued his trek for about fifteen minutes, a soft rustling sound caught his attention from the right. Reacting swiftly, Arthur activated his special skill, 'Shadow Walk,' to move silently and stealthily towards the source of the noise.

As he drew near, he spotted a small, hamster-like creature with its back turned to him. Curiosity piqued, he activated the simulation machine, projecting a status bar above the creature. It identified the little creature as an 'Earth Rat.'

Intrigued, Arthur halted the simulation and cautiously approached the Earth Rat. He could feel his feline instincts taking over, his focus sharpening on the potential prey before him. Crouching low, he prepared to pounce. With a sudden burst of energy, he launched himself toward the Earth Rat. The creature was taken aback by the unexpected attack, but its instincts as a prey animal kicked in, and it swiftly evaded Arthur's pounce with surprising agility, defying the expectations of its seemingly plump form.

After his embarrassing fall, Arthur found himself right next to the Earth Rat, who quickly distanced itself from the clumsy predator. The hamster watched Arthur intently, intrigued by the unusual spectacle of a predator failing in such a manner. Undeterred, Arthur regained his footing and attempted to attack the Earth Rat once more. Yet, his every move was effortlessly evaded, leaving him frustrated and his energy meter depleting with each failed attempt.

Unbeknownst to Arthur, the Earth Rat seemed to derive enjoyment from toying with the young predator cub. It was unafraid of any maternal retaliation since it possessed the ability to escape into the safety of the earth at any moment. Observing his energy drop to a precarious 40, Arthur knew he needed to alter his attacking strategy.

In a sudden moment of inspiration, Arthur activated his 'Illusionary Eye' ability, manifesting a third purple glowing eye on his head. The hamster gazed curiously at this new development. As their eyes met, something peculiar occurred within Arthur's simulated space. He felt a shift in his connection to the world around him, prompting him to halt his pursuit of the hamster and explore this newfound phenomenon.

Within the vast void of his simulated space, Arthur witnessed a surreal sight. In the distance, a small landscape resembling the plains of reality materialized within his simulated world. Within this landscape, he saw an Earth Rat identical to the one he had been chasing in the real world.

Gazing at the curious Earth Rat in front of him, which seemed unaffected by his sudden halt in movement, Arthur decided to experiment further. With focused intent, he attempted to materialize his own body within the simulated world. A second identical kitten materialized in mid-air, causing the hamster to jump back in astonishment.

Arthur observed the hamster's reaction closely, realizing that it was indeed responding to his simulated world. The appearance of the second Arthur in the simulation seemed to elicit a genuine reaction from the real-world Earth Rat. Yet, Arthur understood that in reality, there was no second physical body. It was a mere projection within the simulation space, and the hamster's reactions were seemingly directed at an illusion.

With a newfound understanding of the connection between his real-life body and the simulated world, Arthur decided to conduct a daring experiment. He focused on the simulation of his physical form within the virtual space and willed it to vanish. As the projection of the real Arthur disappeared, the hamster watched with a puzzled expression, unable to discern whether the black cat had employed an Afterimage ability or somehow managed to create a temporary clone.

In the real world, Arthur observed the hamster's reaction closely. The creature seemed oblivious to his presence as its attention remained fixated on his simulated self in the simulation. Curiosity and a tinge of excitement fueled Arthur's next move. He slowly approached the perplexed hamster, which suddenly looked behind itself, seemingly startled by a faint noise. The hamster couldn't spot anything nearby, yet its instinct told it that something was amiss.

Seizing the opportunity, Arthur activated 'Shadow Walk' once more, closing the distance between him and the hamster with stealthy precision. He pounced once more, at this time, the hamster's intuition kicked in, but it didn't react as swiftly as before. Before the hamster could employ any escape skills, Arthur's jaws clamped down on its neck, ending the creature's life swiftly.

With the hamster's demise, Arthur felt a sense of relief wash over him. He disabled all his skills, and his energy meter dropped to 30 after the intense hunting attempt. Despite the energy expenditure, he was elated to have finally unlocked the full potential of his 'Illusionary Eye' ability. The connection between the real and simulated worlds had provided him with a powerful tool that he would need to navigate the challenges that lay ahead.

After the intense encounter with the hamster, Arthur took a moment to catch his breath and assess his situation. However, he soon realized that remaining in the wild with the scent of blood lingering would undoubtedly attract unwanted attention. A moral dilemma ensued within him as his human instincts grappled with his feral urge to survive.

Despite his hunger, Arthur's humanity prevailed, and he decided to forgo the notion of consuming the hamster raw. Instead, he resorted to a more controlled method. Opening his status interface, he gently touched the lifeless hamster, prompting a small prompt to appear before him. The prompt indicated the detection of 20 points of energy and offered him the option to absorb it.

Studying the prompt, Arthur noticed that there was no skill associated with this energy absorption, making him wonder if it was due to his incompatibility with the hamster's body or simply because the energy value was low. Nevertheless, he quickly pushed aside these musings and chose to proceed. With determination, he selected 'yes' on the prompt, and a subtle suction emerged from within him, drawing the hamster's energy into himself. As the energy was transferred, the plump hamster gradually withered away, leaving no trace of its former vitality.

With the energy extraction complete, Arthur looked at his energy meter to see that it had refilled to 50 units. Realizing that it was safer to return to the concealment of the cave, he promptly left the area and made his way back to the comforting darkness of his hiding place.